Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/129

FENCING 121 The Italian is also much heavier and less pli- ant than the French foil, which is only 34 in. in length. The handle has just beneath the guard a ring in which the fencer inserts his fore and middle fingers to grasp firmly the weapon, which is further secured to the hand by a bandage ; whereas the French use neither the ring nor the bandage. The guard to protect the hand is of metal in the Italian foil, and very large ; in the French foil it is much small- er and lighter. The pure Italian school is in vogue only in lower Italy and Sicily, and the Neapolitan masters are justly celebrated for their adroitness in this particular method. The characteristic of the Neapolitan school (which more than any other partakes of the old Italian and Spanish) is to extend the arm so as con- stantly to present the point direct to the ad- versary's breast ; the hand is kept in the centre of the person at nearly the elevation of the shoulder ; the large guard between the handle and the blade serves somewhat the purpose of a little shield by causing the attacking point to glance off the hand of the fencer on the defen- sive, slightly bearing to the left or right (carte or tierce), according as he finds himself men- aced. The arm being already fully extended has the tendency to keep an adversary at a distance, and also facilitates the lunge of the attacker. The fencer can also defend himself by a circle parry, which the Neapolitan makes by describing with the point a small circle 8 to 12 in. in diameter, for the purpose of catch- ing up an adversary's point which may glide away from the engagement under the blade, menacing the lower line, or the upper one if it complete the disengagement. The Venetian school, of those of upper Italy, resembles most the Neapolitan ; the Piedmontese is mixed, par- taking of the old French and the Neapolitan. The Spanish school is a modification of the Neapolitan, in which the attack is assisted by extraordinary gymnastics of the leg, the fencer at times throwing himself nearly on the ground and attacking much in the lower line. This, like every other peculiarity, when well execu- ted, is very embarrassing to one not accustomed to it. When the French established a method of their own, the deviation from the Italian model consisted in the fencer having a less ex- tended sword arm, the hand (medium guard) at the height of the breast, the elbow slightly bent, and the point of the sword at about the height of the eye. The knees were a little more bent, but the body was kept back as if to get out of reach of attack. Among the additions to the defence may be especially noted the half circle (old style), having the hand about level with the shoulder and the point depressed to the leight of the waist, protecting the lower line to the left (carte), and being consequently the opposite of seconde, which bore the adversary's blade to the right. A new mode of attack was also introduced, termed coupe, or the cutting over the point instead of disengaging under the blade. Here were also introduced the bat- tement or sharp tap preceding an attack, the effect of which is to make the person thus at- tacked grasp his foil nervously and thus render his hand for the moment rigid and unsuited to parry with rapidity. The change of engage- ment has much the same effect. Some disarms were introduced, but they are practically use- less except when the hit is given by the same blow, for an adversary who is seen to be dis- armed cannot be touched. Lafaugere intro- duced the couronnement, which was made by raising the hand instantly after the parry (carte or tierce), and with the forte of one's own blade mastering the faible of the adversary's, then (as the latter in this situation tries to close the line of the riposte) turning or sliding the blade round it without quitting it, and deliver- ing the riposte in the opposite line to that of the parry. The half-circle parry of Bertrand is made with the nails upward, the hand at the height and to the right of the forehead, the arm more than half extended, the point very slight- ly depressed and projecting leftward about as far as the line of the left shoulder, rather but not completely in the direction of the adver- sary. The blade in this parry catches up the attacking foil and exposes the entire body of the attacker to a riposte, which comes with incredible velocity, the point after the half- circle parry being very near to the breast of the opponent. The instruction for the small sword is the basis of the attack and defence with every other weapon ; nevertheless almost every attack and parry with the broadsword is the reverse of those with the small sword. Instead of having the point further out than the hand on the side of the guard, the blade is kept across the body ; instead of the touch being the guide, the eye principally directs the movements ; instead of piercing with the point, the hit consists of a cut with the blade. The cut can be given as a blow, or with a light hand, which makes it razor fashion. There are also circle parries called moulinets, whereby the man who parries swings round his sword, de- scribing a complete circle with the point, and having his own wrist as the pivot for the movement. The use of the broadsword on horseback is but a variation of its application by a combatant on foot; the horseman is obliged to protect his horse as well as himself. Heavy cavalry are armed with long heavy swords, and hit heavily. The Turks have curved scymitars and adopt the razor cut ; they also use swords weighted at the extremity, whereby they combine together the blow and the razor cut. The Germans have a long sword which they (students especially) manoeuvre with an extended arm ; it may be regarded as the Neapolitan school applied to the broad- sword. The bayonet at the end of the musket is, when employed by a line of soldiers, a very formidable weapon; but on account of the leverage it offers it is of little use to an isolated man, unless to defend himself against a mount- ed dragoon. The motion of the bayonets in